Solar energy has recently seen a tremendous surge in popularity, especially among home and business owners. The primary cause is the enticing mix of current solar panel efficiency and money-saving solar subsidies.
Unless you live in Antarctica, you’ve undoubtedly noticed solar panel systems sprouting up all over your neighborhood and wanted to learn more about them. Are they the best option for you? This is a question that only a solar panel installation expert can answer.
In this article, we’ve gathered some fascinating information about solar energy to put the concept of installing solar panels into perspective.
Some history behind Solar Energy
Solar energy is a non-polluting, environmentally beneficial power source that does not create planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions or dangerous pollutants when utilized to generate electricity.
Solar energy has been used for millennia, but it was not widely commercialized until roughly forty years ago, when it was recognized as a clean and efficient replacement for fossil fuels. French physicist Alexandre Edmond Becquerel discovered the photovoltaic effect in 1839: the generation of electric current from sunlight. In 1941, Russell Ohl developed the first solar panel cell, and Bell Laboratories released the first commercial panel in 1954.
The worldwide state of solar energy
Solar energy has not yet achieved widespread adoption in developing countries, owing to the lack of investment and climate debt. This is a disadvantage because they are located in areas with optimal access to the sun’s rays.
Meanwhile, solar power production has exploded in countries like America, Canada, Australia, and, more recently, China. Switching to solar power is more important than ever before, as time is running out for the world to avoid a catastrophic global temperature rise of more than 1.5°C.
Let’s proceed to the facts about Solar Energy.
It is the most plentiful energy source on Earth.
Solar energy is the conversion of sunlight into electricity using solar cells. The Earth already receives a lot of solar radiation, so we must scale up our technologies to capture and convert it.
The energy from a single hour of solar radiation that reaches the planet’s surface could meet the entire world’s energy demand for one year!
Because the sun will not be disappearing anytime soon, we have the resources and technology to totally rely on solar power. By doing so, we may also end the global use and consumption of fossil fuels by adopting a more aggressive approach to research, development, demonstration, scale-up, and commercialization of solar energy.
It is the most rapidly expanding source of power.
In 2019, Canada had a new yearly installation record of 4,844 megawatts (a more than 50% increase over the previous year). The boom was halted in 2020 owing to Covid-19 and other economic reasons. However, renewable energy appears increasingly appealing now than ever before, given the worldwide energy crisis.
Despite the numerous obstacles, Canada’s solar sector has a bright future, with strong backing from the government. Solar is playing an important role in achieving the goal of the Government of Canada to become net-zero emissions by 2050.
It is getting cheaper.
Since the ’80s, the cost of a solar panel has dropped considerably. As a result, the cost of setting up and operating a residential PV system in Canada is comparable to that of utilizing conventional energy sources today.
Solar photovoltaics is now among the most cost-effective new energy sources, second only to wind. It will have a significant role in reducing carbon emissions from our electricity system as a result of its relatively low installation and running costs.
Solar energy is also extremely clean and environmentally friendly. A solar PV system produces no greenhouse gases during operation and only minor emissions over its service life. PV systems eliminate 96% of greenhouse gases compared to coal power generation. We assist in cleaning our electricity generation and move closer to our net-zero objective by increasing the amount of solar energy we use.
Conclusion
We’ve gathered a number of solar energy facts that demonstrate how beneficial and necessary solar energy is now and how it will continue to impact the planet in the future. There are a number of solar misconceptions floating around. Still, as solar energy technology improves and spreads across Canada and the rest of the world, its significance becomes more apparent.